Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, together.

The Quigley report, which was published in 2005, highlighted the need for special care in cases in which a proposed consultancy comprises an element of direct service to a Minister or Minister of State, particularly in area of public relations or communications, or where a Minister or Minister of State suggests the name of a person or enterprise as being suitable. Following publication of the Quigley report, additional guidelines to be followed in such cases were approved by the Government and are published on my Department's website. The guidelines were brought to the attention of all Secretaries General, who were asked to implement them and, in future, to bring them to the attention of all newly appointed Ministers and Ministers of State, where relevant, in their Departments or offices.

The guidelines give the Secretary General to the Government and the Government secretariat a role in examining certain procurements. However, there is no special committee in my Department to oversee the awarding of public relations contracts by Ministers. Any workload arising from the application of these additional guidelines is handled within existing resources in the Government secretariat.

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